The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1887-07-22
THE PHANTo1r BEACON
Mysterious Light Oyer tho wreck o.
the Mar.ns City.

A few years ago the steamer Marine
City, plying between Detroit and Lake
Huron ports, caught fire just of Har-
risville and was run near shore when
the passengers were nearly all rescued,
after struggle in the water, and the
hull sank.
She had been at one time fine craft
and fayorite passenger boat. In one
Of my trips along that shore I chanced
to fall in company with dweller of
that country and the conversation
turned upon the mystery that followed
the destruction of that old craft.
Have you ever heard Of the phan-
tom light which can be seen at mid
night on the anniversary of the burning
Of the Marine City?" asked an intelli-
gent old fisherman.
II never did; no, what is it?"
"Come out here on the dock with me
tonight at 12 o'clock and you will see.
Iaccepted the invitation, and at the
appointed hour we stroIed out on the
pier; and while we were on the way,
There, look, said he, and sure enough,
as plain as the stars that twinkeIed In
in the heavens, light, apparently q
lantern, hovered above and around the
old wreck.
| confess / was somewhat starteled,
and rubbed my eyes to make sure it was
no optical illusion. It moved about
slowly as if carried by some unseen
hand. Was it not some boatman NOV
ing about? No, for it was not so dark
nor so far away but small boas could
have been seen and heard.
/ did not like to give it up, and so we
engaged boat and rowed up the shore
toward the light. The crisp, evening
air was as still as if hushed in sleep,
and as / bent to the oars with
vigorous will / instinctiyly feathered
them and handled them as
noiselessly as if engaged in
some midnight adventure requiring
nerve and daring. Somehow the love
of adventure does not seem TO desert us
as we creep out of our boyhood and
enter the sedate period of manhood;
and the desire to fathom the unfathon-
able is part of most mems nature.
! The old fisherman entered heartily into
the spirit of the occasion and offered
TO relieve me at the oars.
You're good 'un at the oar, but II
1 4. 4 - -
self, for it's good mile up there.
Easing up bit and pulling more
cautiously glanced over my shoulder
toward the light. 1t seemed to be re-
ceding, kind of ignis fatuus; and
again doubled over the oars.
Soon we were at the old slnken hull,
but the light had disappeared We
rowed around the burnt wreck resting
in shallow water and looked down into
its coaI black depths, but could see no
cause for phosphorescent lights Then
we rowed to the shore and examined
the banks sand and gravel nothing
else; no swamp or rotten wood, nor
stream of water near in fact nothing.
that I could discover, that would cause
this will wisp.
We got into the boat and my COM
panion seemed depressed and inclined
to silence, and l saw that he was seized
with q sort of superstition, and 50
thought to distract his thoughts ht-
| tie and drew him out as to his theory
regarding the mystery, and this was it
You believe that men have souls
that live after death?"
Il most certainly do
sWeIl, don't you believe that souls
have the power to talk to us in one way
or another?"
II am not so sure about that.
you've heard Of folks dreaming aboWt
some of their friends being in danger
and soon after get word that the dan
ger was real, and possibly their friends
/ died In the very hour they were
dreamed about. Now, what would you
call it?n
swell, / should call it q communicar
ton with the spirit world that / don't
care to have anything to do with until |
have done with this world. T"
Then you are not spiritualist
see 2"
nNot if I know myself; unless in the
sense that all professedly Christian peo-
| pie whether really or professedly do
not say) are spiritualists, 70 acert-in ex-
tent. But what about that light? You are
getting onto theology the light, what is
it?D
well, sir, I'll tell you what I think
IL il. 1t was said that the Marine City
was set on fire by one af the dack
hands or firemen out Of revenge for
some real or imaginary wrong, and that
he was one of the few that was lost,
and nv opinion is if that is true, that
he Is doomed as punishment to bring
/ that light here every night during the